Published: 23 Oct 2025

Chapter 22 – Christmas Cheer

Mom woke us up so we could have breakfast with her and Dad before they left for work, and then we got our things ready to take with us to the cabin. We both carried our duffle bags down to the SUV, and then we went back to get the Tupperware container with the baseball cards and the two boards, so we could show them to Ma and Pa.

“Are you still planning on stopping at the mall so we can do the rest of our Christmas shopping before we go to the cabin?”

“Yeah, and since we actually left right after breakfast, we won’t have to hurry quite as much while we’re looking for the items that we couldn’t find in the stores at Fort Collins.”

“It’s a good thing we both have debit cards that our families add money to every now and then, otherwise it would be difficult for us to do any Christmas shopping.”

We ended up going to several different stores over the course of the morning, and when we finished our shopping, Devin drove me back to the house and helped me carry the packages up to my room. And since we had each item gift wrapped at the mall, we didn’t have to hide them from my snooping mom.

Once that was taken care of, we went downstairs and looked around to make certain that we hadn’t left any messes. After cleaning up a small problem that I discovered, I made sure both doors to the house were locked before Devin and I got in his SUV and took off for the cabin.

“I really like the activity your dad told us about for New Year’s Eve,” Devin stated while he was driving. “Now, we just have to convince my parents that they’d enjoy going with us, because if they do, then my dad might even pay for our tickets as well, when he buys their tickets.”

“Do you think they might already have plans for New Year’s Eve?”

“Not that I know of, unless they’ve arranged something with Gramps, Pops, and their wives, and if that’s the case, then we can just invite the four of them to go with us as well.”

“We can still invite Gramps, Pops, Hope, and Faith to join us, even if they don’t already have something planned with your parents.”

“Yeah, you’re right, and that’s a good idea too.”

When our discussion ended, we sang Christmas songs for a while, but then I suddenly stopped after I remembered something.

“What’s wrong?” Devin asked when I stopped singing.

“Nothing’s wrong. I just thought about something else is all. When we go back to my house for Christmas, we’re going to have to do a lot more research about the baseball cards, since we won’t be able to do it at the cabin.”

“Research about what?”

“We now know how to protect the cards and how to identify which player’s cards might be valuable, but we don’t know how to grade the cards. That will play a huge part in determining what they’re worth and how much we can ask for each individual card when we go to sell it.”

“There must be people or companies that can do that stuff for us, the same way we found a group that could help us rate the different coins, so we’d know how much they were really worth.”

“Yeah, but your dad, Gramps, and Pops already knew a lot about the coins before they did that and they’d taken photos of each coin to use when they advertised it for sale. Seeing they had calculated their own rating for each coin, they would know if the professionals had made an error or were trying to screw them, so they could buy the coins cheaper. And since Gramps and Pops had to send the coins to them to be rated, they also had documentation to prove if the pros were trying to swap one of their lesser valued coins for one of ours.”

“That’s because they’d dealt with stuff like that before, when they found a bunch of coins hidden at the Lost Dutchman’s Mine with the gold dust, nuggets, and bars of gold.”

“And that’s the difference, because we don’t know nearly as much about the baseball cards and we can only guess as to which ones are worth anything, especially when it comes to the big bucks. Sure, we can still take photos of the cards to prove which ones are ours, but we don’t know how to evaluate their worth.”

“Then we’ll just have to find a place that we trust to do this for us, and we’ll take photos of each card first, both front and back, so we’ll be able to prove which ones we sent them. That way, if they end up doing something suspicious, like making an offer to buy certain cards from us, then we’ll just have to reject their offer and send those cards to another place to be rated. At least we’ll have the photos that we took, in case they attempt to return a replacement card for the same player.”

“But doing that will cost money.”

“Yes, but having the cards professionally rated, the cost will be nothing when compared to how much more we can sell them for. I learned that when I was working with Gramps and Pops about getting the coins rated.”

“Ok, then we’ll just have to find the best group to have it done, but after they’re rated, how are we going to go about selling them?”

“I’m sure my dad, Gramps, or Pops will be able to give us some ideas about that. Oh, and if any of the buyers ask how we acquired these cards, just tell them that we happened to come across them when we were examining the contents of an old Tupperware container at a garage sale. I think they’ll believe that story easier than if we tell them that we found a chest that had been buried in the ground for years until a big storm blew some tree over and their roots exposed the chest.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that, because it seems that people are constantly finding priceless objects at garage sales or while they’re shopping at a thrift store. Do you have any idea about how we’re going to try to sell them, once we get them rated and have a better idea about how much they’re worth?”

“We might try finding a baseball card trade show and sell them there, or we could sell them online. If we decide to go that route, then we can either sell each card at a fixed price or set up an online auction for the cards we feel will draw the greatest interest, except for the cards that may be really valuable. We might want to take the cards that we feel might sell for the most money to one of the better auction houses and have them auction off the cards for us.”

“Ok, it’s good to know that we at least have a basic plan for how we’re going to sell them. I just can’t believe that we’ve found two treasures in the same year, the coins during the summer with Gramps and Pops, and then the baseball cards in the fall, after we were back at college.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of unbelievable, isn’t it? And who knows, we may make enough money from selling the coins and the baseball cards that we’ll be set for life. And if we’re lucky, it will be a huge sum that will last for several lifetimes.”

“That would be great, especially if we have kids, because once they hit puberty and are able to start transitioning, then we’ll probably have to take time off from our jobs so we can home school and train them. If we have a lot of money that we can tap into during that time, it will make our lives a lot easier and with less worries.”

“Yeah, you’re right about that and I’m glad you’re thinking ahead about these things, because right now I’m mainly focused on making the most money possible when we sell everything. Dad, Gramps, and Pops will help us sell the coins and the other items that were in the bags with the coins, but we’ll have to do all of the work when it comes to selling the baseball cards.”

“You don’t think your dad, Gramps, and Pops will help us with that as well.”

“I think we’re already asking them to do enough work for us by selling the coins. We may ask them for advice from time to time, but I think we’d better plan on doing all of the work with the baseball cards without their help.”

“Ok, if you say so. In that case, it looks like we’ll have plenty of work to do with the baseball cards while we’re also looking for jobs.”

“Yeah, it’s not going to be easy, but we’ll do it somehow.”

When we finally arrived at the cabin, we only took our duffle bags inside and left the other things in the SUV. Ma was there and greeted us warmly, but Pa was still at work, so we sat down to chat with Ma. “Do you have anything planned for New Year’s Eve?” I asked.

“Not that I’m aware of. I guess we’re just going to spend a quiet evening at home, unless your parents invite us to their house.”

“So, you don’t have anything planned with Gramps, Pops, and their wives?” Devin followed.

“No one’s mentioned anything to me about any plans.”

“Ok, then let us tell you about an idea my dad has come up with for New Year’s Eve.” After Devin and I explained the details to her, Devin asked a question.

“Are you interested in doing anything like this with us, Mom?”

“Oh, I’m definitely interested. It sounds a lot better than sitting here in the cabin while most of the world is out celebrating.”

“Do you think Dad might want to do it.”

“Don’t worry about your father, because if he doesn’t say yes right away, then I’ll convince him to do it.”

“What about Gramps, Pops, Hope, and Faith? Do you think they might want to join us?”

“We can definitely ask them and find out.”

“Great! Then I can’t wait to tell Dad about this.”

“Don’t try to talk to him about it until after he’s had a chance to clean up and relax for a while first. In fact, your best bet would be to tell him about this when he’s more than halfway through eating supper, because he’s always in a much better after he’s had a chance to scarf down some food.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

We talked to Ma about other things as well, like about finding the baseball cards and thinking that some of them might be quite valuable. We also talked to her while she was fixing supper, and we even did a few things to help out, including setting the table. We also offered to wash the dishes after we finished eating.

“Thank you. That will be very nice and a big help.”

When Pa arrived at the cabin, we said hello to him, and then we answered all the questions he asked about our classes and finals. After that, we gave him plenty of time to relax and do whatever else he wanted, but after we sat down to eat, Devin waited until Pa was about halfway through his meal before he spoke.

“Dad, have you made any plans for New Year’s Eve yet?”

“That’s ironic, because I just listened to my dad and granddad kicking around a few ideas while we were at work, but nothing definite was discussed. I also want to get in touch with Mac’s parents to see if they’ve thought of anything in particular.”

“I can help you with that,” I said, “because my dad heard about a New Year’s Eve celebration that’s going to take place in the Grand Ballroom at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver.” I then informed Pa about the same details that I’d told Ma, including the choice of entrees and everything else the hotel was providing, including the room for each couple. “What do you think about this idea? Would you be interested in doing something like that with us.”

“Yeah, it sounds like it might be fun. What do you think, honey?”

“I love the idea,” Ma answered, “and I was hoping you would too.”

“In that case, it looks like we’re definitely interested in joining you and your parents on New Year’s Eve.”

“Great! Do you think Gramps, Pops, and their wives might want to do this with us?”

“I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask them about it. Devin, why don’t you and Mac follow me into work tomorrow and then you can explain it to your granddads since you know the information better than I do. And after you’ve explained this idea, then you boys can drive back to the cabin or do something else, if you prefer.”

“Yeah, ok. I’ll even take my laptop with me so I can show all of you the webpage with all of the information. Do you have WiFi at your office?”

“Yes, we do, and I’ll give you the password that you can use while you’re there.”

“Great, that will help out a lot and maybe we’ll stay at the office even longer so we can look up some other things online, if you don’t mind.”

“No, that will be fine, and I’ll try to find a place where you can work and we won’t be in each other’s way.”

As soon as we’d agreed about that, Devin and I went out to the SUV to get the Tupperware container and the two boards, and then we told Ma and Pa about finding the baseball cards. “And from what we found out so far, some of these cards could be worth thousands, possibly even hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of dollars.”

“I’m sorry to hear about the boy, but did you two happen to capture a leprechaun or find a lamp with a Genie inside it before you went to search the cave with my dad and granddad? I mean, I was amazed and speechless after you told us about finding the coins and other things in the cave and realized how much they might be worth, and now you’ve found another treasure! Damn, I’ll give you boys some money tomorrow so you can buy a couple of lottery tickets for me on the way into work, since you seem to be riding a hot streak right now.”

“We’ll be happy to do that for you, but don’t blame us if you don’t win the jackpot.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t, but it’s at least worth taking a shot, since you seem to be as lucky as if you’d caught a unicorn or found a magical ring.”

“I don’t think we’re that lucky, Dad.”

“You apparently have more luck than I do, so I’ll try to tap into whatever it is that is helping you to find treasure and maybe make lots of money as well.”

We spent the rest of the night chatting with Ma and Pa until they decided to turn in, but Devin and I stayed up to chat for a little longer about the events of the day. When we eventually went up to his room, we made love first, and then we headed to the bathroom and went through our nightly ritual before getting in bed. And this time Devin spooned up behind me with his arm wrapped around my chest as we drifted off to sleep.

Pa woke us up in the morning so we could all have breakfast before he took us into work with him. Before we left, though, Ma asked me a question.

“Mac, do you know if your mom is planning on preparing a meal for tomorrow evening or will we be going out to eat?”

“Lonny and Clint will be joining us too, so she said she’s going to fix a boneless ham on Christmas Eve and a turkey on Christmas day.”

“Do you know what she’s planning to have as side dishes with the ham?”

“I’m not sure, but at other times when we’ve had ham, she also fixed scalloped potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, macaroni and cheese, and prepared a salad. She put tomatoes, onion, black olives, parmesan cheese, and croutons in the salad, and she also made an oil and vinegar dressing to go with it.”

“What about dessert?”

“The only thing I know about dessert is that she said she’d bought two pumpkin pies to heat up after we have turkey and dressing on Christmas Day.”

“Ok, then after you’ve talked to Aaron’s dad and granddad tomorrow, I want you to call your mom and find out if she’s planned anything for dessert on Christmas Eve. If she hasn’t, then tell her that I’ll make two apple pies, if she’s interested. And if she is, then I want you and Devin to stop at the grocery store and buy a bag of Granny Smith or McIntosh apples on your way back here. I’ll also need you to pick up a package of brown sugar and containers of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. Can you remember all of that?”

“Yes, because I’ve used some of those things before, so I know exactly what you’re talking about, so we’ll get all of those items for you as well.”

We then went outside with Pa, but before we got in the two SUVs, he made a comment. “I’m going to stop at a convenience store on the way to work so you boys can buy a couple of lottery tickets for me. Devin, I want you to fill out a card and pick the numbers for a Mega Millions ticket and Mac I’d like you to choose the numbers for a Cash 5 ticket. While you boys are doing that, I’m going to decide which scratch off ticket I’m going to purchase to see if just being with you is lucky.”

“Ok, we can do that for you,” we confirmed.

The stop at the convenience store only took about ten minutes as we selected the numbers and filled out the cards, and then we handed them to Pa so he could give them to the clerk. He also told the clerk which scratch off ticket he wanted, and then he paid for everything and we followed him the rest of the way to his office.

“When are you going to find out if you won any money on the scratch off ticket?” Devin asked when we arrived there.

“I’ll do that after we find out if you boys picked the right numbers on the cards you filled out. Those drawings will be held later tonight, so tomorrow we’ll find out if any of us were lucky.”

“We can use our phones to find out about the Mega Millions and Cash 5 drawings while we’re on the way to my house.”

“Ok, but I won’t be able to do the scratch off until we get to your house.”

Now that we were at the building where Pa, Gramps, and Pops all had their offices, we discovered that Gramps and Pops were already there. After we greeted them, I asked a question. “Have you two made any plans for New Year’s Eve yet?”

“Nothing definite, except that we’ve agreed to take our wives out to dinner that evening. What about the rest of you. Have you made any plans yet?”

“Ma and Pa, Devin and I, and my parents have all agreed to try something that my dad found out about, but he’ll have to know who all is going before he calls in to make our reservations. We’d like to run it by you to see if you two might like to bring your wives and join us.”

“Sure, we’d love to take a look at what the rest of you will be doing.”

I quickly got out my laptop, logged on, and then I pulled up the website for the Brown Palace Hotel so I could show all of them, including Pa, about their New Year’s Eve celebration. After they browsed the information and looked at the photos of the previous year’s celebration, they all seemed quite intrigued.

“Doris and I were interest in doing this after the boys merely told us about it, but the webpage make it look even more exciting.”

“Do you want to do this with us?” I asked Gramps and Pops.

“Let us call our wives and run it by them first, and then we’ll let you know.”

While we were waiting to find out if they wanted to join us, we talked with Pa about what he saw on the website. “Were you really that impressed with the website?”

“Yes, I think looking at the webpage made me even more determined to do this. I’m certain Doris would have been equally impressed, since she already seems eager to do it, even without having read the information or viewed the photos from last year.”

While we were still talking to Pa, Gramps and Pops returned. “We just spoke with our wives and they’ve agreed that they want to do this as well.”

“Ok, that means there will be ten of us going there, so I’ll just need to know what meals each of you wants for your entree,” Pa said. “Mac, you can call your parents and find out what they want to eat that night and then I’ll call and make the reservations,”

“But my mom wanted me to call her so she could do that.”

“I know, but it will be easier for me to put it on my credit card and then collect from my dad and granddad later. I don’t want your dad to have to shell out so much money and then have to wait for the rest of us to show up and pay him back. Just tell your mom that I’m taking care of it and she and your dad can pay me back when we get to your place for either Christmas or New Year’s.”

“Yeah, ok. I think she’ll realize this was a smarter way of doing it.”

Now that Pa agreed to take care of that for us, he showed us where we could work and we started looking up information about how baseball cards were rated. We soon discovered that there were several different organizations that did this and each one had a slightly different rating system. They all looked for the same things, although some were stricter about their criteria than the others.

We researched each group’s reputations and general acceptance among card collectors, and then we looked at their fee schedules next. After spending a couple hours doing that, Devin and I agreed to go with Sportscard Guaranty Company, a.k.a. SGC. They use a grading system from 0 to 10, with 0 being the worst and 10 the best, and it goes like this: 10 is Pristine, which is perfect, and 10 is also Gem, which is near perfect. Then the grades continue down at half-level intervals until they get down to 2, which is Good, and after that the ratings drop off a cliff. From that point on, 1.5 is Fair, 1 is Poor, and 0.5 is ‘don’t waste your time and just burn it or throw it in the trash’. That last rating is something Devin and I made up.

After learning about their grading system and having read the blurbs explaining exactly what the professionals were looking for at each level, we wanted to see some examples of how it worked. We felt if we did that, then we could at least make a reasonable determination about the grade of each of our cards. We then compared the photos of cards for the same player that had already been graded to see if we good see how the professionals had determined that grade. After doing this for a while, we then had a better understanding about what that card would be worth.

After we finished our research, we said goodbye to Pa, Gramps, and Pops and drove to the grocery store so we could purchase the items Ma had asked us to pick up for her. Along the way, I called Mom and asked her what she was going to prepare for all of us to eat when we arrived there on Christmas Eve. After that, I told her about what Pa had offered to do and asked what she and Dad wanted for their entrees that evening. She basically reacted the way I thought she would, although I held my breath for a short time until she finally gave me her answer, and then she told me what she and Dad wanted to eat that night.

Once I knew this wasn’t going to be a problem, Devin and I entered the grocery store and purchased the needed items for Ma, and then we zipped back to the cabin. As soon as we arrived, I handed Ma the bag of apples and another bag with the other items she wanted, and then she asked us a question.

“Are you boys hungry, because I didn’t fix as large a breakfast as I normally would?”

“Yes, we’re starved,” we responded simultaneously.

“Good, because I figured you might be, so I made some lunch for you. Go wash up and I’ll have everything on the table when you return.”

We hurried up and did everything we needed to do, and then while we were eating, Ma asked what Gramps and Pops had decided about New Year’s Eve.

“They both called their wives and they agreed to join us.”

“Good, it will be nice to have Hope, Faith, and your mom around to chat with during the lulls that evening. I have a feeling the men will be running back and forth to the bar to get more drinks, but they’ll also use those trips as an excuse to stick around and watch the football game for a while. I’m sure there will probably be a game on the TV at the bar for the bartenders and other patrons to watch.”

“From what I read, I’m not sure there will be many lulls in the activities, if there are any lulls at all.”

“It will still be nice just the same, if only so I’ll feel safer about having one or more of them to accompany me when I have to go use the ladies’ room.”

“Why’s that?” Devin asked.

“Because sometimes there are really creepy guys hanging around outside the ladies’ room and hitting on the women as they pass by. If there are more than one of us walking together, the creepy guys will usually leave us alone, especially after we all give them a piece of our minds.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“And now you do.”

Seeing that we’d discussed Gramps, Pops, and their wives’ plans for New Year’s Eve, Ma switched gears and asked about something that was happening even sooner. “Did you check with your mom to see what she had planned for tomorrow night?”

“Yep, and it’s just like I told you earlier. She’s having ham on Christmas Eve, with the other things I told you about earlier. She’ll then prepare a turkey with all of the normal things that go with it on Christmas Day. Oh, and since you said you were willing to bring the apple pies with you, she said she won’t make another dessert.”

“Great, and then I’ll be able to help her with the turkey and everything else on Christmas Day.”

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate that. She also confirmed that she bought a couple of frozen pumpkin pies to heat up to go with the Christmas meal, but she says she feels guilty about not making them herself. The problem was, she knew she wouldn’t have enough time to do it, since she’d still be working during the days leading up to Christmas.”

“I’m sure the pumpkin pies will be just fine, and I hope everyone likes having apple pie after they’ve eaten the ham.”

“I’m sure we’ll all love it.”

Devin and I continued to chat with Ma until she started fixing supper. and then we decided to go upstairs for a while, but we set the table for her before we left. We also told her we’d wash the dishes later, but now we were eager to examine a few of the baseball cards in our possession to see if we could grade them according to what we’d learned earlier. It didn’t take long before we realized this wasn’t going to be an easy task. Devin and I attempted to grade a few cards independently, but it seemed that we rarely agreed.

No matter what grade Devin or I deemed appropriate to assign the various cards, our conclusions didn’t match. It was obvious there wasn’t a great deal of difference between the grades we chose and the grade on either side of the grade either of us had chosen. It was merely a matter of the degree of the factors, such as imperfections, starting with where they were located on the card, how much area they covered, as well as how obvious they were.

Another factor is the brightness and clarity of the colors on the photo on the card, which was very important, as well as if the photo and the information printed on the back were centered. The edges on the card were also very important, especially any damage that appeared there. This included the percentage of the edges that were damaged, as well as the severity of the damage, and if that damage extended to the photo. The four corners of the card were also very important and any damage or alterations to the corners could also greatly impact the grade the card was given, along with a list of factors that were looked for.

In the end, we were usually only able to grade the cards so our grades weren’t separated by more than two or three levels, which meant we weren’t very accurate, since we couldn’t agree on a grade. We were just glad that we were going to use the professionals at SGC to grade the cards for us. All we wanted to do before we received SGC’s grade was to reach a ballpark estimate of what we thought their grade would be, so we could get a general idea about what each card might be worth.

When we heard Pa arrive, we went downstairs to welcome him home, and then Ma asked him more questions. “Did your dad or granddad say anything else about our plans for New Year’s Eve after the boys left?”

“Just that they were glad Devin and Mac had showed up and told them about their idea. By the way, I called and purchased ten tickets for each event and I’ll pick them up when we arrive at each location on New Years Eve. They both emailed me a receipt to verify the purchase, so I printed them out and put them in my wallet, in case there were any questions when we arrive.”

“Awesome,” Devin and I confirmed in stereo.

“I really appreciate that you boys rescued us from ending up spending a very dull New Year’s Eve stuck here in the cabin,” Ma followed.

“We were happy to do it, because it will give us something to do on New Year’s Eve as well. We don’t get to dance with each other very often, because there are so many other things going on that we don’t have time to do it, so this will be nice.”

“I agree, because I don’t get out to dance very often either,” Ma concurred.

We then sat down for supper, and while we were eating everyone mentioned what they hoped the two events on New Year’s Eve were going to be like. And after we finished eating, we agreed to play a game of Uno after the dishes were done, but we weren’t going to stay up long. We all wanted to get a good night’s rest, because tomorrow is Christmas Eve Day and it might go until the “wee hours of the morning,” as Scotty on Star Trek might say.

Even though we went to bed early, Devin and I still took time to make love first, and then we went through our nightly ritual before getting in bed and cuddling with each other. I fell asleep almost immediately, because I was so content.

I woke up before anyone else in the morning, because I was eager to load up Pa’s SUV with all of the things we were taking with us to my house so we could celebrate Christmas together. I know Pa said he was going to work a half-day first, but I was hoping he would decide to return to the cabin even earlier, so we could go join my parents and be there in time to welcome Lonny and Clint when they arrived.

Eventually, the others got up as well, and then Ma fixed a large breakfast and we all ate together before Pa left for work. As soon as he had driven away, Devin and I helped Ma do the dishes and clean up the kitchen and dining room. After that, Devin and I headed upstairs to his room so we could pack our bags for the next few days.

I wasn’t sure when Lonny and Clint would arrive, since I didn’t know if Lonny had to work or if he’d taken the day off, but at least we all had presents to give them on Christmas morning. I was hoping someone would be there to greet them, but I wasn’t certain, since Mom and Dad had to work for at least half a day first, just like Pa. I knew Mom would be in a hurry to get home, though, so she could start preparing the meal for this evening.

I was certain that Mom had done as much as she could in advance, and then she would have placed those items in the refrigerator until she got home from work. Then, as soon as she arrived at the house, she would take those items out of the fridge and place them in the oven. She’s done things like this before, so I’m hoping it will work out just as well as it had in the past, as long as they don’t get home too late.

“Damn, you’re wound tighter than a drum and you need to calm down,” Ma urged when she saw me, “and stop going over the plans in your head or fretting about things.” She obviously knew me very well. “And don’t worry about when Aaron will get here either, because he’ll arrive in plenty of time to get us to your house. And becoming impatient won’t get us there any sooner, and we might even arrive before your parents get home from work.”

“I know, but I always get like this, and it tends to get worse the closer it gets to Christmas Day. I’ve always looked forward to the family getting together for the holiday and I want everyone to arrive on time, the meals to be perfect, and everyone to have a good time. I know none of my grandparents will be here this year, nor will my dad’s sister, her husband, or my cousins, but just like the last few years, we’ll have a different type of family. You, Pa, and Devin, along with Lonny and Clint, will make up for my biological family members that can’t be with us, and that’s why I’m so nervous, because I don’t want anything to go wrong. I want the next two days to be perfect.”

“I know you do, and it’s all going to work out just fine. And I can’t wait to meet Lonny and Clint, since I’ve heard so much about them.”

“Yeah, and I’m glad that we’ll be able to fill in for Lonny and Clint’s family as well, since Clint’s mom died and I don’t think they have any other family,” Devin added. “So we’re all doing something similar for each other.”

Pa arrived at the cabin at 10:30, and as soon as he walked through the door, Ma asked him if his dad and granddad were upset that he left so early. “Hell no! They’re the ones that kept urging me to go and have a nice Christmas. They also told me to wish each of you, along with everyone that will be at Mac’s house tonight, ‘a very Merry Christmas’. And then my dad added for me to tell everyone, and I quote, ‘that he hopes Santa is good to each of you and that you get everything you asked for’. Of course, I’m unable to say it in the same deep voice that he used, and I can’t imitate the ‘ho, ho, ho’ like he does either, but you get the idea.”

We understood perfectly, and as soon as Pa finished speaking, Devin and I loaded our duffle bags and other items into Pa’s SUV. While we were doing that, Devin told me that he’d packed his presents in his duffle bag, since we’d left the rest of the presents that we bought together at my house previously. When we came back inside, we helped carry out all of the presents that Ma and Pa were bringing with them, along with their suitcase with the things they will need to last them until the day after Christmas.

We were on the road before noon, and shortly after we started out, Devin and I got everyone singing Christmas songs. It certainly helped to fill each of us with the Christmas spirit before we reached our destination, if we didn’t have it already.

When we arrived at my house, Lonny and Clint were already there and sitting in their car in our driveway. After we got out of our vehicles, Devin spoke. “Damn, how did you guys beat us here?” Devin asked when we all got together.

“Dad didn’t have to work today and I’m out of school for over a week, so we left the house around noon.”

“We did too, so how did you get here before us?”

“Devin, you forgot something important,” I pointed out. “They live in Colorado Springs and we had to pass through there on our way here, so they didn’t have to travel as far.”

“Oh, yeah. I guess that explains it,” Devin agreed.

“Ok, let’s grab our things and take them inside first, and then we’ll introduce all of you.”

“Good idea,” Lonny stated, so we all went to take what we needed out of the vehicles before heading to the house. Devin and I were ready before the rest of them and we overheard a comment that Lonny was making to Clint.

“Now that you’ve got your travel bag, grab the remaining bag as well, because I’ve already grabbed my travel bag, along with two of the additional bags that we brought.”

I was a little surprised to see how much Lonny and Clint had brought with them, and I doubted that whatever was in those bags were more clothes or other items that they needed during their stay. Once they were ready, as well as Ma and Pa, I spoke. “Ok, follow me and we’ll go inside to chat.”

After we’d all entered the house, we temporarily placed the things we were carrying on the floor, and then I took Lonny and Clint’s coats, as Devin did the same for Ma and Pa, and we hung them in the closet closest to the front door. We also took off the coats we were wearing and hung them up as well, and then I spoke.

“Let’s go into the living room and we’ll introduce you to one another.”

After we’d introduced everyone to each other, I suggested that Ma and Pa could sit on the sofa, and Lonny and Clint could sit on the love seat on one side of the room. While they were doing that, Devin and I moved over to armchair, and I urged him to sit in the chair while I sat on the arm next to him. We then let Ma, Pa, Lonny, and Clint do most of the talking as they got to know one another better.

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